Natasha Vos

I arrived to the department in fall 2021 after graduating with a B.S. in Meteorology from St. Cloud State University. As a student member of the Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) science team, the primary objectives of my thesis work are twofold: First, we sought to characterize the so-called “intersections” of PREFIRE, or regions resampled by one or both of the dual CubeSats; and second, we aimed to investigate how important surface and atmospheric processes (e.g., sea ice melt) can be strategically analyzed via the mission’s novel resampling.

To characterize anticipated intersections, I analyzed simulated PREFIRE orbits to determine where resampling is plausible and on what timescales, with particular emphasis on subdaily resampling. During the first phase of my thesis work, I compiled spatial and temporal statistics for our hypothetical intersections. In the second phase, I applied reanalysis data to high-latitude simulated intersections and collected demonstrative cases. Such cases help illustrate how our intersections could be leveraged in Earth system observations, especially in the context of capturing dynamic polar processes.

Research aside, I began running daily in July 2022 and hope to work my way up to competitive running eventually! I also have a tattoo of the CALIPSO satellite on my wrist.